Dispensing can opener



Dec. 10, 1935. H. E. BLOMGREN DISPENSING CAN OPENER Filed May 16, 1934Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING CAN OPENERApplication May 16, 1934, Serial No. 725,987

3 Claims.

The invention relates to devices adapted to be applied to hermeticallysealed containers to open the same and at the same time serve as adispensing spout by which the contents of the can may .be poured ordischarged.

The invention is especially useful for opening cans and for dispensingliquid or fluid contents therefrom. In this respect the invention hasimportance in the sale of lubricating and other oil, syrups and liquors,as well as granular or pulverulent material. The practice of deliveringto the retail purchaser for immediate use lubricating oil sealed in asimple can, the end of which must be 'cut to permit it to be poured outfor introduction into the motor, has grown to large proportions. I amaware of certain prior forms of combined openers and dispenser funnelsby which the content of the can may be poured directly into the motor bythe use of the opener, and it is a purpose of my invention to effectimportant improvements making for greater cleanliness, greatersimplicity in the opener-dispenser, and its manner of use, as well aseffecting economy in manufacture of the opener-dispenser, and providinga far less bulky article.

It is an important aim of my invention to present the opener-dispenserin a form whereby the mere movement of it to operative position on a canwill efiect opening of the can and also securement and sealing of theappliance safely upon the can, so that it will not become casuallydetached, and so that none of the contents of the can can escape, exceptthrough the discharge nozzle of the device.

It is a purpose to present novel structure for the attainment of theseends, and to additionally insure the proper displacement of the cutmaterial from the openings formed, whereby a maximum freedom of flow ofthe contents in dispensing will be assured. It is also a purpose todevise a novel assembly relation of the parts having advantages ineconomy, strength and durability.

It is an important object to present a form of cutter which willadditionally perform further functions of importance to the utility ofthe device, particularly in assuring good clearance of the openings fromthe can.

A most important object and attainment of the invention is the provisionof a device applicable to effective use upon cans of all sizes.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in theembodiment of the invention, as will appear from the followingdescription and accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side viewpartly in section of one embodiment of my invention in use.

Figure 2 is an end view of the cutter.

Figure 3 is a detail of one of the blades.

Figure 4 is a detail of the other blade.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section of the cutter head showing the cushionmounting.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the cutter head of a modifiedconstruction.

Figure 7 is a top view of the modified cutter element detached.

Figure 8 is a detail of one blade of the modification.

Figure 9 is a detail of the other blade of the modification.

As an example of embodiment and use of the invention, there isillustrated a part of a can I0, to which my combined opener anddispenser is applied for the purpose of decanting the content of the caninto the neck ll of the oil reservoir of an internal combustion motor.

The appliance comprises a spout or' nozzle pie'ce I2 from which aflexible metal pipe I3 is extended a suitable distance, and on theextremity of the pipe opposite the spout l2 there is a mouth piece Mwith cutter and securing means l5, all of which is here briefly termedthe cutter head Id.

The nozzle may be produced after any approved practice applicablethereto, but in the present instance consists of a two-piece stampingjoined with a common form of seam to provide a slightly curved spoutwith a rolled rim at the discharge end, its opposite end being tightlyfitted around the pipe l3 with suitable sealing of the joint. The pipel3 may be of any good liquid-tight flexible metal pipe or hose, of whichthere are several forms commercially available.

The cutter head comprises the mouth fitting I4 which in the main is asimple cylindrical tube one end of which is fitted snugly andpermanently to the end of the pipe l3 opposite the spout I2. At itsopposite end the tube is formed with an external enlargement l6 groovedas at H on its outer or end face, concentrically with the axis of thetube, the inner wall l8 of the groove being also theend of the wall ofthe tube. The inner parallel faces of the walls of the groove arepreferably smoothly finished to accommodate slidably a cushion ring orgasket ring I9 which is adapted to project from the groove to effect aseal against the outer face of an engaged can, as will appear. This ringl9 may be sufficiently resilient to itself properly act against a cansurface, or, as

illustrated, may have behind it in the groove I! a follower washer 28and an undulated spring washer 2 i, by which the ring I9 is pressedyieldingly outward, but not out of the groove.

In the end of the tube l4 the cutter l5 proper is fixed consisting. oftwo blades 22 and 23 each of arrow-head shape, their shanks 24 and 25being rectilinear and adapted to fit snugly and diametrically in thetube [4. The two blades are mortised together at right angles so thatthe cutter is X-shaped in cross section. The shank 24 is longitudinallyslotted on its axis to receive the other shank therein, while the blade23 is similarly slit to receive the other blade snugly therein. Theblades are bevelled as at 26 on each side throughout the outer parts oftheir cutting edges, and the arrow-head portion of each is extended to abase or barb 2'! on each side which projects slightly beyond thelongitudinal edge of the shank there adjacent, and also is spacedoutwardly of the plane of the mouth of the tube l4 including the outerWall of the groove. The barb forms a shoulder 28 at right angles to thejoining longitudinal edge of the shank, although this particular angularrelation may be varied without departing from the spirit of theinvention. It is also apparent that the barb portions and part of thecutting edge of the blades also project radially beyond a longitudinalgeometrical projection of the tube I4.

It should also be noted that the cutting edgesof the blade in this formstop short of the extremities of the barbs, so that short fiat slopingouter faces 29 are formed on the extreme inner parts of the blades, fora purpose to be explained.

In the side of the tube 14 in a plane with the spout axis and oppositethe side to which the spout is curved, there is formed an air inlet orvent 30 which is preferably inclined so that its outer end is locatedlongitudinally nearer the cutter than is the inner end of the vent.

In the use of this device, a can of any size or shape may be opened andits content dispensed and discharged into a motor by merely pressing thecutter through the head or top of the can until the washer l9 restsagainst the outer face of the can, then introducing the spout l2 intowhatever receptacle is to receive the content, and tilting the can sothat the content runs by gravity into the final receptacle. Part of thecontent may be dispensed and the can and appliance set upright withoutescape of any of the content.

By this pressure of the cutter through the can top, the material of thetop is cut radially from the point of entry of the cutter in fourdirections. The blades force inwardly the pointed portions 3| thusformed, and when the flat faces 29 engage at the ends of the cutsformed, the points 3| are forced further back, and the end of the cutsin the can top engaged and sprung downwardly and away from the axis ofthe cutter, so that after the barb points have passed the inturned anduncut parts at the ends of cuts made by the cutting edges of the bladethese sprung parts of the can spring inwardly again, behind the barbs,and bear thereagainst, to prevent casual withdrawal or loosening of theappliance from the can, the washer I9 being held snugly against the faceof the can as a seal completely preventing leakage of the content of thecan so that the appliance and the can remain perfectly dry and unsoiledexteriorly beyond the actual opening 32 formed by the cutter. As is wellunderstood in decanting devices and especially as to lubricating oils,air will readily feed through the spout I2 and pipe l3 into the can IDas the oil drains out, but in order to further facilitate the flow ofoil in the pipe l3 in a novel way, I have provided the supplementaryvent 30 as described, the direction of this vent preventing casualescape of oil there 5 through while the decanting operation is inprocess, and when the decanting is finished, owing to there being no oilin the vent, none will run therefrom to the exterior of the appliancewhen it is set with the spout directed upwardly.

In Figures 6 to 9 inclusive there is illustrated a modification of thisinvention, wherein the spout l2, pipe I3 and mouth piece M are the sameas before described, but the cutter assembly is somewhat different. Theblades 32 and 33 are formed Without the barb elements of the firstdescribed blades, and the bevelled cutting edges 36 extend flush to thelongitudinal edges of the shanks 34 and 35 close to the plane of themouth of the appliance. The blades and shanks are longitudinally slottedand the blades mortised together in the same way as before described.The butt ends of the shanks are respectively recessed as at 31 and 38medially of the end edge, the first being a simple straight-walledrecess, while 25 the one 38 is formed with an inwardly projecting tongue39 at each side extending a short distance over the recess. The modifiedcutter is provided with a fender and retainer 46 stamped integrally fromresilient sheet metal the center of this being a. simple square plate 4|of the metal of a size to set snugly in the recesses of the ends of theshanks with the tongues 39 engaging snugly thereover. From the cornersof this plate 4| there are extended long integral radial arms 42 whichare bent sharply at right angles to the plate 4| so as to extend inparallel relation between the blades and located at a distance from theaxis of the tube l4 about one-half the radius of the respective sides ofthe shanks. The extremities of the arms 42 are bent obliquely outwardfrom lines a short distance inwardly of the plane of the end edges ofthe mouth fitting l4, and each extended to a point slightly beyond aline across the bases of the cutting edges of the blades, as indicatedin Figures 6 and '7. Here they are recurved on a comparatively shortradius and their extremities directed inward in a common plane at rightangles to the axis of the tube I4. The curve at this bend should besumciently gradual for the ends of the fender to press inward and thendivergently the tongues cut in the can It] by the entry of the blades,and when the metal of these tongues resists further deflection at thelines between the extremities of the cuts made by the blades, the curvedparts of the arms 42 should lie partly beyond these lines, so that thearms 42 will ride upon the metal of the can at the bends of the points3| which will have been formed at said lines, and the arms 42 bedeflected inward, springing partly outward again within the can as theouter parts of the curves of the arms pass inward of said lines, and bythe relative radial outward spring of the arms separation of theappliance from the can will be yieldingly opposed with sufficientstrength to retain the appliance in position while the contents of thecan are decanted and during other usual handling of such can.

When desired, the appliance of Figures 6 to 9 may be detached from a canby manual force directly applied, the arms 42 yielding inwardly when thedevice is withdrawn and then springing outward as soon as withdrawn. Byworking the fitting l4 as a lever, causing one side to act as a fulcrumagainst the wall of the can, the opposite arm 42 of the retainer may bereadily pried out of the can.

The use of the last described form of the device is similar to that ofthe first described form. It will be appreciated that the outwardspringing action of the arm 42 will cause the can top Ill to be drawninward around the cutter until the outer face of the can presses snuglyagainst the cushion and gasket Washer l9 as before described.

In Fig. 6, also, the gasket 19 is used alone in the groove of themouthpiece, and its inherent resilience and the action of the arms 42depended on to effect a seal.

The resilience of the metal of the can will also contribute aid inclosing the space between can and gasket in both forms described. Thus,in Fig. 1 the metal at 32 is opposing the bending effected by the bladesand in so doing is pressing against the barbs, tending to push theblades longitudinally inward in addition to opposing withdrawal of thecutters. Withdrawal can of course be effected manually as described withthe form of Fig. 6.

I claim:--

1. In a device of the character described, a mouth piece of rigidmaterial, having an opening therethrough for alinement with the openingof a can, and a can piercing member projecting outwardly from theopening at the can-engaging side consisting of two planiform blademembers having rectilinear shanks set in the said opening of the mouthpiece, the blade of one being longitudinally slotted to snugly receivethe other blade therein and the shank of said other being longitudinallyslotted to receive the shank of the first named blade, and meansincluded positioned laterally of the lines of the cutting edges of theblades to engage the projecting tongue-like edge portions of the openingformed in a can by the blades.

2. In a device of the character described, a 5 mouth piece having amouth opening adapted to fit against a can and the like, a can piercingmember fixed thereon in line with the mouth opening comprising aplurality of radial blades arranged and shaped to cut respective slitsin a can wall when pressed thereinto, said blades including inclinedcutting edges divergent toward the mouth piece and terminating short ofthe latter with an intervening non-cutting portion adapted to subjectthe can material to stress, and means coactive therewith to engageadjacent stressed edge portions of the opening formed by the piercingmember by longitudinal penetrating movement of the device whereby todraw the mouthpiece against the face of the can by the inherentresilience of the can material.

3. In a device of the character described, a mouth piece having a mouthopening adapted to fit against a can and the like, a can piercing memberfixed thereon comprising a plurality of coaxial arrow-shaped bladesprojected from the can engaging side of the mouth piece and havingshanks next the mouth piece, said blades including barb portionsprojecting outward from the shanks, the barbs being spaced from themouthpiece so as to lie a distance within an engaged can, the cuttingedges of the blades stopping short .of the barbs a distance, and theblades having non-cutting edge portions thereon extending from saidcutting edges to the points of the barbs for the purposes described.

HENRY E. BLOMGREN.

